Do you all remember when you couldn't even fine a Wii in stores (circa 06-07)

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Poll of the Day » Do you all remember when you couldn't even fine a Wii in stores (circa 06-07)
fettster777
09/11/2025
03:15 PM
#1
You guys thought it was hard to find a PS5 for a while. Let me tell you about the Wii. I worked at an electronics store back then, big chain one, and we literally would tape flyers to the doors saying we would have a stock of Wii's on a certain day and people would line up for them before opening on that day. Then get pissed when they all went in seconds because we got a shipment of like 5. People CONSTANTLY asking if we had Wii's in stock every single day. Most people who wanted one weren't even gamers or had kids who were gamers. They just wanted it for the "cool motion controls" and to play Wii Sports. Many of them we did get to sell to they didn't even buy a game with it because it came with the only game they wanted.
adjl
09/11/2025
03:57 PM
#2
It's really quite baffling that Reggie had to fight tooth and nail to convince Iwata to agree to packing Wii Sports in with the Wii. The overwhelming response to that idea had been that they didn't want to devalue the work on the game by giving it away (which is why Welcome Tour has a price tag), but it did so much to drive sales of the system that it was clearly the right choice to include it for free.
This is my signature. It exists to keep people from skipping the last line of my posts.
Damn_Underscore
09/11/2025
04:29 PM
#3
I preordered a Wii so no. I remember being so excited because I paid for it myself
Heed the detour, life's like a seesaw
Ups and downs, and I bet there will be more
man101
09/11/2025
04:35 PM
#4
I got one by dumb luck. I had pre-ordered twilight princess but not the console itself, because I didn't think it would be so hard to find one. Called GameStop to check on the morning of release and they said their entire supply was pre-ordered. Stopped at two other stores on the way to see if they had any in stock. Eventually resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to just sit and not be able to play the game for a while.

Then while at GameStop standing at the register buying the game the guy ringing me up answered the phone and the person who called canceled their Wii pre-order. So he hung up and said, "well now we've got one in stock, do you want it?"

I think I was the only one of my friends who had one for like two weeks.
\\[T]// Praise the Sun
FrozenBananas
09/11/2025
04:51 PM
#5
I remember running to like 10 different stores on Black Friday trying to find one with my friend
Big yellow joint big yellow joint I'll meet you down at the big yellow joint
ParanoidObsessive
09/11/2025
05:51 PM
#6
I don't remember that, because I was never looking for one.

But it's not surprising considering it became the trendy gimmick toy for a while, that even non-gaming normies were buying to play with at parties and then shove into their closet to collect dust for the next 8 months.
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FrozenBananas
09/11/2025
05:57 PM
#7
The normies love Wii sports / fit
Big yellow joint big yellow joint I'll meet you down at the big yellow joint
Salrite
09/11/2025
06:26 PM
#8
I member. I got my first job in July of 07 and went out with my first paycheck to see if there were any Wiis available. After over a year, I FINALLY found some in stock. But at the time, I was also really itching to get a 360 and play Dead Rising, so I ended up getting that instead. Took me a while longer to finally get a Wii, but I believe after that point, there really weren't any stocking issues anymore.

man101 posted...
I had pre-ordered twilight princess but not the console itself, because I didn't think it would be so hard to find one.

I did that, too. I got Red Steel as well. When I finally did get a Wii, I ended up barely playing it. I think I got like an hour into Twilight Princess before quitting. Never touched it again.
Salrite
09/11/2025
06:27 PM
#9
Also, Wii shortages were so heavily part of the Zeitgeist that there was a South Park episode on it
man101
09/11/2025
07:19 PM
#10
Salrite posted...
I did that, too. I got Red Steel as well. When I finally did get a Wii, I ended up barely playing it. I think I got like an hour into Twilight Princess before quitting. Never touched it again.
Yeah I think I only ever owned about 5 games for the Wii when all was said and done. Ended up selling the whole bundle years later and then when I started dating my wife she had one and so I re-bought a copy of Twilight Princess and I still have not touched it like 7 years later because every time I consider it I remember how the game was actually not as good as I wanted it to be. Welp.
\\[T]// Praise the Sun
Far-Queue
09/11/2025
07:41 PM
#11
I can't find a Wii in store now

Them shits is sold out everywhere I go
What's better than roses on your piano?
Tulips on your organ.
Salrite
09/11/2025
08:49 PM
#12
Far-Queue posted...
I can't find a Wii in store now

Them shits is sold out everywhere I go

I worked at Walmart end of last year and it's funny how many people still come in asking for Wii games
faramir77
09/11/2025
10:40 PM
#13
I preordered my Wii (with a money deposit) and arrived at the store less than 10 minutes after they opened on launch day, and they sold my preorder to someone else anyway. I've never preordered anything ever since.

I ended up getting one over a month later right after New Years by waiting outside an EB Games in -15 weather for 3 hours. All this just to get Twilight Princess on the Wii.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCtAUrZbUk
-- Defeating the Running Man of Ocarina of Time in a race since 01/17/2009. --
ToastyPOP
09/11/2025
10:46 PM
#14
That's why I opted for the gamecube version of TP. I knew I wasn't getting a Wii anytime soon.

The gamecube version didn't come out until almost a month after the Wii version too...
#15
Post #15 was unavailable or deleted.
JixHedgehog
09/11/2025
11:42 PM
#16
Did an all nighter outside of Wal*Mart and played Mario Kart DS with a bunch a guys

They almost gave my Wii away when they called my name and I wasn't nearby

Good times, good times

The Switch midnight launch at the same store was basically a walk in
KJ_StErOiDs
09/12/2025
12:06 AM
#17
Nope; missed the early rush. Got my Wii in 2008.
"Shhh! Ben, don't ruin the ending!" --Adrian Ripburger, Full Throttle
faramir77
09/12/2025
12:14 AM
#18
ToastyPOP posted...
That's why I opted for the gamecube version of TP. I knew I wasn't getting a Wii anytime soon.

The gamecube version didn't come out until almost a month after the Wii version too...

I got that version many years later. Made me laugh because it's clearly better than the Wii version. I should have just done that and got a Wii later in 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCtAUrZbUk
-- Defeating the Running Man of Ocarina of Time in a race since 01/17/2009. --
fettster777
09/12/2025
10:33 AM
#19
I ended up owning like 4 games for Wii. Smash Bros, Mad World (why I have no idea), Epic Mickey, and New Super Mario Bros. I only ever played Smash bros and Mario. Never touched the other two.
KingInBlack
09/12/2025
11:20 AM
#20
No, I didn't want one since they had no real controllers and it was aimed at non-gamers.
Your loyalty lies on the wrong side of the future
Damn_Underscore
09/12/2025
12:22 PM
#21
KingInBlack posted...
No, I didn't want one since they had no real controllers and it was aimed at non-gamers.

They had the Classic Controller

Also a Pro version with handles
Heed the detour, life's like a seesaw
Ups and downs, and I bet there will be more
man101
09/12/2025
01:25 PM
#22
faramir77 posted...
I preordered my Wii (with a money deposit) and arrived at the store less than 10 minutes after they opened on launch day, and they sold my preorder to someone else anyway. I've never preordered anything ever since.

This kind of shit is why I wouldn't patronize GameStop or another big video game chain even if I were still buying physical games with any frequency. They just have no respect for holding up their end of an agreement.

When I pre-ordered (and fully paid for) Dark Souls for the 360 I got the call the night before telling me my pre-order would be ready for pickup the next day at whatever time they open. Went in the next morning and the store was gone. They straight up closed the location between when I pre-ordered and the release date and didn't bother to update their notification system. When I went to another location later that day the manager more or less said "not my problem" and was going to refuse to give me a copy until I asked for his name and essentially threatened to take him to court. Then he finally relented. Haven't shopped at GameStop ever since.

\\[T]// Praise the Sun
adjl
09/12/2025
01:39 PM
#23
Damn_Underscore posted...
They had the Classic Controller

Also a Pro version with handles

Generally speaking, anyone who busts out a comment like "the Wii didn't have a real controller" probably isn't worth engaging with. That's somebody who just wants to hate on the system and isn't actually interested in thinking about the matter.

man101 posted...
They straight up closed the location between when I pre-ordered and the release date and didn't bother to update their notification system. When I went to another location later that day the manager more or less said "not my problem" and was going to refuse to give me a copy until I asked for his name and essentially threatened to take him to court. Then he finally relented.

That should probably actually have been a matter of asking him for the contact info for the district manager. He was right that his location wasn't responsible for filling the preorders of a different location, but GameStop as a corporate entity was still responsible for honouring it (or else refunding you). The DM's response would likely have been to just tell the guy to give you a copy, though (they should have designated a different store to fill preorders from the closed one, but if they hadn't, defaulting to the one you were currently at would make sense), which is presumably why he relented.
This is my signature. It exists to keep people from skipping the last line of my posts.
DeathMagnetic80
09/12/2025
08:25 PM
#24
adjl posted...
It's really quite baffling that Reggie had to fight tooth and nail to convince Iwata to agree to packing Wii Sports in with the Wii. The overwhelming response to that idea had been that they didn't want to devalue the work on the game by giving it away (which is why Welcome Tour has a price tag), but it did so much to drive sales of the system that it was clearly the right choice to include it for free.

Which is funny because the NES and SNES did so well because they had killer apps as pack ins. I guess they thought they were established enough to not need that anymore, but the Game Cube was kind of a failure compared to previous gens.
OHJOY90
09/13/2025
02:11 PM
#25
I remember there being a big buzz about it for a while. I think they were sold out for what, 2/3 Christmases straight before the stock issues died down?

Mum pre-ordered one on Amazon for the family the Christmas it came out. Had to go on Amazon as soon as they went live a few months before launch to make sure we got one.
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DeathMagnetic80
09/17/2025
02:31 PM
#26
This did remind me that when I worked at Target, a couple days before Christmas we actually found two Wiis in our stock room when I was working in electronics. I lied to security and told them I was taking my "last break" (I'd already had it) because I couldn't buy anything while not on break and bought the last one in the store for my brother who had been looking for one, and had him pay me for it later.
fettster777
09/17/2025
02:51 PM
#27
I remember I actually "won" one from Lockerz if any of you remember that. Geez that was such a disaster. Anyway somehow a ton of people won more than they had so they just gave everyone $50 gift cards instead.
Poll of the Day » Do you all remember when you couldn't even fine a Wii in stores (circa 06-07)